USA, OH: Tricky Tortoise Brewing permanently closes in Willoughby

Tricky Tortoise Brewing Co. (4057 Erie St.), which reactivated the massive Willoughby Brewing space after four years of dormancy, has permanently closed as of last weekend. Bobby Ehasz opened the new brewpub in spring of 2024 after investing considerable amounts of time, money and effort to buff up the 120-year-old railcar repair depot, Clevescene.com reported on August 5.

"As you can imagine, this is pretty tough for my family, we really put our hearts in this one over the last two and a half years," Ehasz said. "We just never found a way to be profitable and I was trying to do it all on my savings after a military career so not much to work with! We never truly had the budget to really make it great!"

After months of work, the former Willoughby Brewing Co. building looked lighter, brighter and more welcoming than it had in ages. Walls were removed, flooring replaced, booths extracted, lighting updated, and fixtures and furniture upgraded.

On the beer side, Caleb Brown, a brewer who worked at Platform/AB and Thirsty Dog, put together a tasty roster of beers that leaned into well balanced classics and originals.

"Running this brewery has been one of the greatest adventures of our lives," Ehasz added. "We opened our doors with passion, community spirit, and a deep love for craft beer. For a time, it felt like magic — the laughter in our taproom, the clink of glasses, the pride of creating something that brought people together.

"But as many of you know, this industry can be as challenging as it is rewarding. Despite our best efforts, the financial strain of the challenges over the last year have made it impossible for us to keep operating sustainably.

"To our loyal customers, thank you. You believed in us, drank with us, and made our family brewery feel like home. To our staff — our heart and soul— we are endlessly grateful for your dedication and hard work. You poured your energy into every pint, every event, and every interaction.

"While this chapter is ending, we remain proud of what we built and even more proud of the community that gathered around it."